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Koyama Y, Nawa N, Ochi M, Surkan PJ, Fujiwara T. Joint Roles of Oxytocin- and Dopamine-Related Genes and Childhood Parenting Experience in Maternal Supportive Social Network. Child Psychiatry Hum Dev 2024; 55:614-621. [PMID: 36098825 DOI: 10.1007/s10578-022-01434-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 08/31/2022] [Indexed: 11/03/2022]
Abstract
How genes and parenting determine maternal social support availability, an important preventive factor of postpartum depression, has been little studied. Our study aimed to examine the interaction effects of maternal sociality-related gene and parenting on maternal social support. We analyzed data of 115 triads of Japanese grandmothers, mothers, and their infants. An interaction between parenting and cumulative genetic risk, calculated on the sociality-related genes (OXTR rs53576, rs2254298, rs1042778; COMT rs4680), was found. Mothers with high genetic risk received less social support if received poorer parenting (B = - 0.02, 95%CI = - 0.04 to - 0.01), while no association among low-risk mothers. Poorer social support was associated with severer depression in high-risk mothers (B = - 0.88, 95%CI = - 1.45 to -0.30). Our results suggest that mothers carrying risk alleles of sociality-related genes are particularly sensitive to childhood parenting, underscoring the importance of childhood parenting and genetic risk to understand maternal help-seeking behavior.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yuna Koyama
- Department of Global Health Promotion, Tokyo Medical and Dental University (TMDU), Tokyo, 113-8510, Japan
| | - Nobutoshi Nawa
- Department of Medical Education Research and Development, Tokyo Medical and Dental University (TMDU), Tokyo, 113-8510, Japan
| | - Manami Ochi
- Department of Global Health Promotion, Tokyo Medical and Dental University (TMDU), Tokyo, 113-8510, Japan
- Department of Social Medicine, National Center for Child Health and Development, Tokyo, 157-8535, Japan
- Department of Health and Welfare Services, National Institute of Public Health, Saitama, 351-0197, Japan
| | - Pamela J Surkan
- Department of International Health, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, MD, 21205, USA
| | - Takeo Fujiwara
- Department of Global Health Promotion, Tokyo Medical and Dental University (TMDU), Tokyo, 113-8510, Japan.
- Department of Social Medicine, National Center for Child Health and Development, Tokyo, 157-8535, Japan.
- Department of Global Health Promotion, Tokyo Medical and Dental University (TMDU), 1-5-45 Yushima, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo, 113-8510, Japan.
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2
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Fitzmaurice BC, Grenfell RL, Heneghan NR, Rayen ATA, Soundy AA. Whole-Body Photobiomodulation Therapy Propels the Fibromyalgia Patient into the Recomposition Phase: A Reflexive Thematic Analysis. Biomedicines 2024; 12:1116. [PMID: 38791077 PMCID: PMC11117728 DOI: 10.3390/biomedicines12051116] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/23/2024] [Revised: 05/14/2024] [Accepted: 05/15/2024] [Indexed: 05/26/2024] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Recent evidence has identified great promise for the novel whole-body photobiomodulation therapy (PBMT) for individuals with fibromyalgia (FM). However, currently no evidence has documented the experiences of participants. The objective of this study was to qualitatively assess treatment experience and response in a group of participants with FM undergoing a course of whole-body PBMT. METHODS An interpretive hermeneutic phenomenological study situated within the worldview of pragmatism was undertaken. A convenience sample of individuals with FM were included if they had undertaken a novel 6-week trial of PBMT. Individuals undertook semi-structured interviews exploring treatment experience and multidimensional treatment responses during Week 3 and Week 6. RESULTS Sixteen trial participants (47.3 ± 10.9 years) took part in this study. The analysis produced three overarching themes that were previously identified from a baseline study (namely, 'Body Structure & Function', 'Activities & Participation', and 'Environment') with an additional five sub-themes that highlighted the intervention experience. Subsequently, four important processes were observed and identified: increased motivation; feeling proud; improved confidence; feeling like 'old self'. This ultimately culminated in the identification of a positive spiral, which we have termed 'recomposition'. CONCLUSIONS We believe our study is the first in the field of chronic pain management to utilise qualitative methodology to directly assess the acceptability and efficacy of a specific medical intervention in a clinical trial, and the first study to qualitatively assess whole-body PBMT experience. The findings are compelling and warrant further work to support the introduction of this device into the National Health Service (NHS).
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Affiliation(s)
- Bethany C. Fitzmaurice
- Department of Pain Management, Sandwell and West Birmingham NHS Trust, Birmingham B18 7QH, UK;
- School of Sport, Exercise and Rehabilitation Sciences, University of Birmingham, Birmingham B15 2TT, UK; (N.R.H.); (A.A.S.)
| | - Rebecca L. Grenfell
- Clinical Research Facility, Sandwell and West Birmingham NHS Trust, Birmingham B18 7QH, UK;
| | - Nicola R. Heneghan
- School of Sport, Exercise and Rehabilitation Sciences, University of Birmingham, Birmingham B15 2TT, UK; (N.R.H.); (A.A.S.)
| | - Asius T. A. Rayen
- Department of Pain Management, Sandwell and West Birmingham NHS Trust, Birmingham B18 7QH, UK;
| | - Andrew A. Soundy
- School of Sport, Exercise and Rehabilitation Sciences, University of Birmingham, Birmingham B15 2TT, UK; (N.R.H.); (A.A.S.)
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3
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Bamford JS, Vigl J, Hämäläinen M, Saarikallio SH. Love songs and serenades: a theoretical review of music and romantic relationships. Front Psychol 2024; 15:1302548. [PMID: 38420176 PMCID: PMC10899422 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2024.1302548] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/26/2023] [Accepted: 01/23/2024] [Indexed: 03/02/2024] Open
Abstract
In this theoretical review, we examine how the roles of music in mate choice and social bonding are expressed in romantic relationships. Darwin's Descent of Man originally proposed the idea that musicality might have evolved as a sexually selected trait. This proposition, coupled with the portrayal of popular musicians as sex symbols and the prevalence of love-themed lyrics in music, suggests a possible link between music and attraction. However, recent scientific exploration of the evolutionary functions of music has predominantly focused on theories of social bonding and group signaling, with limited research addressing the sexual selection hypothesis. We identify two distinct types of music-making for these different functions: music for attraction, which would be virtuosic in nature to display physical and cognitive fitness to potential mates; and music for connection, which would facilitate synchrony between partners and likely engage the same reward mechanisms seen in the general synchrony-bonding effect, enhancing perceived interpersonal intimacy as a facet of love. Linking these two musical functions to social psychological theories of relationship development and the components of love, we present a model that outlines the potential roles of music in romantic relationships, from initial attraction to ongoing relationship maintenance. In addition to synthesizing the existing literature, our model serves as a roadmap for empirical research aimed at rigorously investigating the possible functions of music for romantic relationships.
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Affiliation(s)
- Joshua S Bamford
- Centre of Excellence in Music, Mind, Body and Brain, University of Jyväskylä, Jyväskylä, Finland
- Institute of Human Sciences, University of Oxford, Oxford, United Kingdom
| | - Julia Vigl
- Centre of Excellence in Music, Mind, Body and Brain, University of Jyväskylä, Jyväskylä, Finland
- Department of Psychology, University of Innsbruck, Innsbruck, Austria
| | - Matias Hämäläinen
- Centre of Excellence in Music, Mind, Body and Brain, University of Jyväskylä, Jyväskylä, Finland
| | - Suvi Helinä Saarikallio
- Centre of Excellence in Music, Mind, Body and Brain, University of Jyväskylä, Jyväskylä, Finland
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4
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Dunbar RIM. The social brain hypothesis - thirty years on. Ann Hum Biol 2024; 51:2359920. [PMID: 38994897 DOI: 10.1080/03014460.2024.2359920] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/28/2024] [Accepted: 05/20/2024] [Indexed: 07/13/2024]
Affiliation(s)
- Robin I M Dunbar
- Department of Experimental Psychology, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
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5
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Dunbar RIM. The origins and function of musical performance. Front Psychol 2023; 14:1257390. [PMID: 38022957 PMCID: PMC10667447 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2023.1257390] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/12/2023] [Accepted: 09/29/2023] [Indexed: 12/01/2023] Open
Abstract
Music is widely recognised as a human universal, yet there is no agreed explanation for its function, or why and when it evolved. I summarise experimental evidence that the primary function of musicking lies in social bonding, both at the dyadic and community levels, via the effect that performing any form of music has on the brain's endorphin system (the principal neurohormonal basis for social bonding in primates). The many other functions associated with music-making (mate choice, pleasure, coalition signalling, etc) are all better understood as derivative of this, either as secondary selection pressures or as windows of evolutionary opportunity (exaptations). If music's function is primarily as an adjunct of the social bonding mechanism (a feature it shares with laughter, feasting, storytelling and the rituals of religion), then reverse engineering the problem suggests that the capacity for music-making most likely evolved with the appearance of archaic humans. This agrees well with anatomical evidence for the capacity to sing.
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Affiliation(s)
- Robin I. M. Dunbar
- Department of Experimental Psychology, University of Oxford, Radcliffe Quarter, Oxford, United Kingdom
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6
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Gonçalves PAD, García de Abajo FJ. Multi-plasmon effects and plasmon satellites in photoemission from nanostructures. NANOSCALE 2023. [PMID: 37401202 DOI: 10.1039/d3nr01223a] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 07/05/2023]
Abstract
Plasmons can be excited during photoemission and produce spectral photoelectron features that yield information on the nanoscale optical response of the probed materials. However, these so-called plasmon satellites have so far been observed only for planar surfaces, while their potential for the characterization of nanostructures remains unexplored. Here, we theoretically demonstrate that core-level photoemission from nanostructures can display spectrally narrow plasmonic features, reaching relatively high probabilities similar to the direct peak. Using a nonperturbative quantum-mechanical framework, we find a dramatic effect of nanostructure morphology and dimensionality as well as universal scaling laws for the plasmon-satellite probabilities. In addition, we introduce a pump-probe scheme in which plasmons are optically excited prior to photoemission, leading to plasmon losses and gains in the photoemission spectra and granting us access to the ultrafast dynamics of the sampled nanostructure. These results emphasize the potential of plasmon satellites to explore multi-plasmon effects and ultrafast electron-plasmon dynamics in metal-based nanoparticles and two-dimensional nanoislands.
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Affiliation(s)
- P A D Gonçalves
- ICFO - Institut de Ciències Fotòniques, The Barcelona Institute of Science and Technology, 08860 Castelldefels, Barcelona, Spain.
| | - F Javier García de Abajo
- ICFO - Institut de Ciències Fotòniques, The Barcelona Institute of Science and Technology, 08860 Castelldefels, Barcelona, Spain.
- ICREA - Institució Catalana de Recerca i Estudis Avançats, Passeig Lluís Companys 23, 08010 Barcelona, Spain
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7
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Huang T, Lin KH, Machado-Vieira R, Soares JC, Jiang X, Kim Y. Explainable drug side effect prediction via biologically informed graph neural network. MEDRXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR HEALTH SCIENCES 2023:2023.05.26.23290615. [PMID: 37333107 PMCID: PMC10275013 DOI: 10.1101/2023.05.26.23290615] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/20/2023]
Abstract
Early detection of potential side effects (SE) is a critical and challenging task for drug discovery and patient care. In-vitro or in-vivo approach to detect potential SEs is not scalable for many drug candidates during the preclinical stage. Recent advances in explainable machine learning may facilitate detecting potential SEs of new drugs before market release and elucidating the critical mechanism of biological actions. Here, we leverage multi-modal interactions among molecules to develop a biologically informed graph-based SE prediction model, called HHAN-DSI. HHAN-DSI predicted frequent and even uncommon SEs of the unseen drug with higher or comparable accuracy against benchmark methods. When applying HHAN-DSI to the central nervous system, the organs with the largest number of SEs, the model revealed diverse psychiatric medications' previously unknown but probable SEs, together with the potential mechanisms of actions through a network of genes, biological functions, drugs, and SEs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tongtong Huang
- School of Biomedical Informatics, UTHealth, Houston, TX, United States
| | - Ko-Hong Lin
- School of Biomedical Informatics, UTHealth, Houston, TX, United States
| | - Rodrigo Machado-Vieira
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, McGovern Medical School, UTHealth, Houston, TX, United States
| | - Jair C Soares
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, McGovern Medical School, UTHealth, Houston, TX, United States
| | - Xiaoqian Jiang
- School of Biomedical Informatics, UTHealth, Houston, TX, United States
| | - Yejin Kim
- School of Biomedical Informatics, UTHealth, Houston, TX, United States
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8
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Dunbar R. Why did doctrinal religions first appear in the Northern Subtropical Zone? EVOLUTIONARY HUMAN SCIENCES 2023; 5:e15. [PMID: 37587936 PMCID: PMC10427489 DOI: 10.1017/ehs.2023.13] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/03/2023] [Revised: 05/01/2023] [Accepted: 05/02/2023] [Indexed: 08/18/2023] Open
Abstract
Doctrinal religions that involve recognised gods, more formal theologies, moral codes, dedicated religious spaces and professional priesthoods emerged in two phases during the Neolithic. Almost all of these appeared in a narrow latitudinal band (the northern Subtropical Zone). I suggest that these developments were the result of a need to facilitate community bonding in response to scalar stresses that developed as community sizes increased dramatically beyond those typical of hunter-gatherer societies. Conditions for population growth (as indexed by rainfall patterns and the difference between pathogen load and the length of the growing season) were uniquely optimised in this zone, creating an environment of ecological release in which populations could grow unusually rapidly. The relationship between latitude, religion and language in contemporary societies suggests that the peculiar characteristics of the northern (but not the southern) Subtropical Zone were especially favourable for the evolution of large scale religions as a way of enforcing community cohesion.
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Affiliation(s)
- R.I.M. Dunbar
- Department of Experimental Psychology, University of Oxford, Radcliffe Observatory Quarter, Oxford OX2 6GG, UK
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9
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Rauchbauer B, Jank G, Dunbar RIM, Lamm C. Only empathy-related traits, not being mimicked or endorphin release, influence social closeness and prosocial behavior. Sci Rep 2023; 13:4072. [PMID: 36906682 PMCID: PMC10008555 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-023-30946-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/26/2022] [Accepted: 03/03/2023] [Indexed: 03/13/2023] Open
Abstract
Seminal studies suggest that being mimicked increases experienced social closeness and prosocial behavior to a mimicking confederate (i.e., interaction partner). Here we reexamine these results by considering the role of empathy-related traits, an indirect proxy for endorphin uptake, and their combined effects as an explanation for these results. 180 female participants were mimicked or anti-mimicked in an interaction with a confederate. The effects of being mimicked versus anti-mimicked in relation to empathy-related traits and endorphin release (assessed indirectly via pain tolerance) on experienced closeness and prosocial behavior were assessed using Bayesian analyses. Our results suggest that high individual empathy-related traits increase social closeness to the anti-mimicking and mimicking confederate and to one's romantic partner, as compared to mimicry alone. Results furthermore strongly suggest that high individual empathy-related traits increase prosocial behavior (donations and willingness to help) as compared to mimicry alone. These findings extend previous work by highlighting that empathy-related traits are more influential in creating positive effects on social closeness and prosocial behavior than a one-shot mimicking encounter.
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Affiliation(s)
- Birgit Rauchbauer
- Social, Cognitive and Affective Neuroscience Unit, Department of Cognition, Emotion, and Methods in Psychology, Faculty of Psychology, University of Vienna, Liebiggasse 5, 1010, Vienna, Austria.,Vienna Cognitive Science Hub, University of Vienna, Universitätsstraße 7, 1010, Vienna, Austria.,Laboratoire Parole et Langage, Aix-Marseille Université, CNRS, 5 Avenue Pasteur, 13100, Aix-en-Provence, France.,Laboratoire de Neurosciences Cognitives, Aix-Marseille Université, CNRS, 3, Place Victor-Hugo, 13331, Marseille Cedex 3, France.,Institute of Language, Communication and the Brain, 13100, Aix-en-Provence, France
| | - Gabriela Jank
- Social, Cognitive and Affective Neuroscience Unit, Department of Cognition, Emotion, and Methods in Psychology, Faculty of Psychology, University of Vienna, Liebiggasse 5, 1010, Vienna, Austria
| | - Robin I M Dunbar
- Social and Evolutionary Neuroscience Research Group, Department of Experimental Psychology, University of Oxford, Anna Watts Building, Radcliffe Observatory Quarter, Woodstock Rd, Oxford, OX26GG, UK
| | - Claus Lamm
- Social, Cognitive and Affective Neuroscience Unit, Department of Cognition, Emotion, and Methods in Psychology, Faculty of Psychology, University of Vienna, Liebiggasse 5, 1010, Vienna, Austria. .,Vienna Cognitive Science Hub, University of Vienna, Universitätsstraße 7, 1010, Vienna, Austria.
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10
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Molecular and cellular evolution of the amygdala across species analyzed by single-nucleus transcriptome profiling. Cell Discov 2023; 9:19. [PMID: 36788214 PMCID: PMC9929086 DOI: 10.1038/s41421-022-00506-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 13.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/18/2022] [Accepted: 11/24/2022] [Indexed: 02/16/2023] Open
Abstract
The amygdala, or an amygdala-like structure, is found in the brains of all vertebrates and plays a critical role in survival and reproduction. However, the cellular architecture of the amygdala and how it has evolved remain elusive. Here, we generated single-nucleus RNA-sequencing data for more than 200,000 cells in the amygdala of humans, macaques, mice, and chickens. Abundant neuronal cell types from different amygdala subnuclei were identified in all datasets. Cross-species analysis revealed that inhibitory neurons and inhibitory neuron-enriched subnuclei of the amygdala were well-conserved in cellular composition and marker gene expression, whereas excitatory neuron-enriched subnuclei were relatively divergent. Furthermore, LAMP5+ interneurons were much more abundant in primates, while DRD2+ inhibitory neurons and LAMP5+SATB2+ excitatory neurons were dominant in the human central amygdalar nucleus (CEA) and basolateral amygdalar complex (BLA), respectively. We also identified CEA-like neurons and their species-specific distribution patterns in chickens. This study highlights the extreme cell-type diversity in the amygdala and reveals the conservation and divergence of cell types and gene expression patterns across species that may contribute to species-specific adaptations.
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11
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Khani P, Ansari Dezfouli M, Nasri F, Rahemi M, Ahmadloo S, Afkhami H, Saeidi F, Tereshchenko S, Bigdeli MR, Modarressi MH. Genetic and epigenetic effects on couple adjustment in context of romantic relationship: A scoping systematic review. Front Genet 2023; 14:1002048. [PMID: 36816018 PMCID: PMC9937082 DOI: 10.3389/fgene.2023.1002048] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/24/2022] [Accepted: 01/02/2023] [Indexed: 01/26/2023] Open
Abstract
Introduction: Couples' relationships defined by a complex interaction between the two partners and their intrapersonal traits. Romantic; relationships and love are associated with marital satisfaction and stability, as well as couples' happiness and health. Personality traits influence romantic relationships and, personality influenced by genetical and non-genetically factors. The roles of non-genetically factors such as socioeconomic position and external appearance have revealed in determining the quality of romantic relationships. Methods: We; performed a scoping systematic review to assess the association between genetics and epigenetic factors and romantic relationship. Relevant articles were identified by PubMed, EMBASE, Web of Science, Scopus, and the APA PsycInfo searching between inception and 4 June 2022. Results: Different studies evaluated the associated polymorphisms in 15 different genes or chromosomal regions. In the first step; we classified them into four groups: (1) Oxytocin-related signaling pathway (OXTR, CD38, and AVPR1A); (2) Serotonin-related signaling pathway (SLC6A4, HTR1A, and HTR2A); (3) Dopamine and catecholamine-related signaling pathway (DRD1, DRD2, DRD4, ANKK1, and COMT); and (4) other genes (HLA, GABRA2, OPRM1, and Y-DNA haplogroup D-M55). Then, we evaluated and extracted significant polymorphisms that affect couple adjustment and romantic relationships. Discussion: Overall, the findings suggest that genetic and epigenetics variants play a key role in marital adjustment and romantic relationships over time.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pouria Khani
- Department of Medical Genetics, School of Medicine, Tehran University of Medical Sciences (TUMS), Tehran, Iran
| | - Mitra Ansari Dezfouli
- Department of Neuroscience, School of Advanced Technologies in Medicine, Tehran University of Medical Sciences (TUMS), Tehran, Iran
| | - Farzad Nasri
- Immunology Research Center, Iran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran,Department of Immunology, School of Medicine, Iran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| | - Maryam Rahemi
- Department of stem cell technology and tissue regeneration, Faculty of Science, Tehran University, Tehran, Iran
| | - Salma Ahmadloo
- Faculty of Life Sciences and Biotechnology, Shahid Beheshti University, Tehran, Iran,Institute for Cognitive and Brain Sciences, Shahid Beheshti University, Tehran, Iran
| | - Hamed Afkhami
- Department of Medical Microbiology, Faculty of Medicine, Shahed University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| | - Farzane Saeidi
- Department of Medical Genetics, School of Medical Sciences, Tarbiat Modares University, Tehran, Iran
| | - Sergey Tereshchenko
- Research Institute of Medical Problems of the North, Federal Research Center “Krasnoyarsk Science Center of the Siberian Branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences”, Krasnoyarsk, Russia,*Correspondence: Sergey Tereshchenko, ; Mohammad Reza Bigdeli, ; Mohammad Hossein Modarressi,
| | - Mohammad Reza Bigdeli
- Faculty of Life Sciences and Biotechnology, Shahid Beheshti University, Tehran, Iran,Institute for Cognitive and Brain Sciences, Shahid Beheshti University, Tehran, Iran,*Correspondence: Sergey Tereshchenko, ; Mohammad Reza Bigdeli, ; Mohammad Hossein Modarressi,
| | - Mohammad Hossein Modarressi
- Department of Medical Genetics, School of Medicine, Tehran University of Medical Sciences (TUMS), Tehran, Iran,*Correspondence: Sergey Tereshchenko, ; Mohammad Reza Bigdeli, ; Mohammad Hossein Modarressi,
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12
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Bending and bonding: a randomized controlled trial on the socio-psychobiological effects of spiritual versus secular yoga practice on social bonding. CURRENT PSYCHOLOGY 2022. [DOI: 10.1007/s12144-022-04062-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
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13
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Liu Q, Zhao X, Liu W, Liu Q. Empathy and depression among a Chinese sample: The moderating role of rumination and attentional shift. Front Psychol 2022; 13:1027298. [PMID: 36507000 PMCID: PMC9729700 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2022.1027298] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/24/2022] [Accepted: 11/04/2022] [Indexed: 11/25/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Although previous studies have explored the moderating role of emotional regulation strategies in the relationship between empathy and depression, no studies have studied the moderating role of attentional control in the relationship between empathy and depression. To address this research gap, the present study investigated the moderating roles of rumination and attentional control in the relationship between empathy and depression. Methods 423 participants filled out questionnaires anonymously, including Interpersonal Reactivity Index, Attention Control Scale, Self-rating Depression Scale, and Rumination Response Scale. PROCESS macro for SPSS was used for moderating effect analysis. Results Rumination and attentional shift moderated the relationship between emotional empathy and depression. Specifically, the lower rumination or the higher attentional shift, the stronger the negative association between emotional empathy and depression. Attentional shift moderated the relationship between cognitive empathy and depression, and cognitive empathy was significantly associated with depression only among participants whose attentional shift is high. Conclusion The study showed that rumination and attentional shift play important roles in the relationship between empathy and depression. The findings implicated that the positive role of good emotional regulation strategies and executive function for individuals in the relationship between empathy and depression.
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Affiliation(s)
- Qipeng Liu
- School of Education, Huaibei Normal University, Huaibei, China
| | - Xiaoyun Zhao
- School of Education, Huaibei Normal University, Huaibei, China,Anhui Engineering Research Center for Intelligent Computing and Application on Cognitive Behavior, Huaibei, China,*Correspondence: Xiaoyun Zhao,
| | - Weidi Liu
- School of Education, Huaibei Normal University, Huaibei, China
| | - Qianchen Liu
- School of Education, Huaibei Normal University, Huaibei, China
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14
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Bzdok D, Dunbar RIM. Social isolation and the brain in the pandemic era. Nat Hum Behav 2022; 6:1333-1343. [PMID: 36258130 DOI: 10.1038/s41562-022-01453-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 33] [Impact Index Per Article: 16.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/22/2022] [Accepted: 08/24/2022] [Indexed: 11/08/2022]
Abstract
Intense sociality has been a catalyst for human culture and civilization, and our social relationships at a personal level play a pivotal role in our health and well-being. These relationships are, however, sensitive to the time we invest in them. To understand how and why this should be, we first outline the evolutionary background in primate sociality from which our human social world has emerged. We then review defining features of that human sociality, putting forward a framework within which one can understand the consequences of mass social isolation during the COVID-19 pandemic, including mental health deterioration, stress, sleep disturbance and substance misuse. We outline recent research on the neural basis of prolonged social isolation, highlighting especially higher-order neural circuits such as the default mode network. Our survey of studies covers the negative effects of prolonged social deprivation and the multifaceted drivers of day-to-day pandemic experiences.
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Affiliation(s)
- Danilo Bzdok
- The Neuro-Montreal Neurological Institute (MNI), McConnell Brain-Imaging Centre (BIC), Department of Biomedical Engineering, Faculty of Medicine, McGill University, Montreal, Quebec, Canada.
| | - Robin I M Dunbar
- Department of Experimental Psychology, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK.
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15
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Shalev I, Warrier V, Greenberg DM, Smith P, Allison C, Baron‐Cohen S, Eran A, Uzefovsky F. Reexamining empathy in autism: Empathic disequilibrium as a novel predictor of autism diagnosis and autistic traits. Autism Res 2022; 15:1917-1928. [PMID: 36053924 PMCID: PMC9804307 DOI: 10.1002/aur.2794] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/18/2022] [Accepted: 08/08/2022] [Indexed: 01/07/2023]
Abstract
A large body of research showed that autistic people have intact emotional (affective) empathy alongside reduced cognitive empathy. However, there are mixed findings and these call for a more subtle understanding of empathy in autism. Empathic disequilibrium refers to the imbalance between emotional and cognitive empathy and is associated with a higher number of autistic traits in the typical population. Here we examined whether empathic disequilibrium predicts both the number of autistic traits and autism diagnosis. In a large sample of autistic (N = 1905) and typical individuals (N = 3009), we examined empathic disequilibrium and empathy as predictors of autistic traits and autism diagnosis, using a polynomial regression with response surface analysis. Empathy and autistic traits were measured using validated self-report questionnaires. Both empathic disequilibrium and empathy predicted linearly and non-linearly autism diagnosis and autistic traits. Specifically, a tendency towards higher emotional than cognitive empathy (empathic disequilibrium towards emotional empathy) predicted both autism diagnosis and the social domain of autistic traits, while higher cognitive than emotional empathy was associated with the non-social domain of autism. Empathic disequilibrium was also more prominent in autistic females. This study provides evidence that beyond empathy as was measured thus far, empathic disequilibrium offers a novel analytical approach for examining the role of empathy. Empathic disequilibrium allows for a more nuanced understanding of the links between empathy and autism. LAY SUMMARY: Many autistic individuals report feelings of excessive empathy, yet their experience is not reflected by most of the current literature, typically suggesting that autism is characterized by intact emotional and reduced cognitive empathy. To fill this gap, we looked at both ends of the imbalance between these components, termed empathic disequilibrium. We show that, like empathy, empathic disequilibrium is related to autism diagnosis and traits, and thus may provide a more nuanced understanding of empathy and its link with autism.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ido Shalev
- Psychology DepartmentBen Gurion University of the NegevBeer‐ShebaIsrael,Zlotowski Center for NeuroscienceBen Gurion University of the NegevBeer‐ShebaIsrael
| | - Varun Warrier
- Department of Psychiatry, Autism Research CentreUniversity of CambridgeCambridgeUK
| | - David M. Greenberg
- Department of Psychiatry, Autism Research CentreUniversity of CambridgeCambridgeUK,Interdisciplinary Department of Social Sciences and Department of MusicBar‐Ilan UniversityRamat GanIsrael
| | - Paula Smith
- Department of Psychiatry, Autism Research CentreUniversity of CambridgeCambridgeUK
| | - Carrie Allison
- Department of Psychiatry, Autism Research CentreUniversity of CambridgeCambridgeUK
| | - Simon Baron‐Cohen
- Department of Psychiatry, Autism Research CentreUniversity of CambridgeCambridgeUK
| | - Alal Eran
- Zlotowski Center for NeuroscienceBen Gurion University of the NegevBeer‐ShebaIsrael,Life Sciences DepartmentBen Gurion University of the NegevBeer‐ShebaIsrael,Computational Health Informatics ProgramBoston Children's HospitalBostonMassachusettsUSA
| | - Florina Uzefovsky
- Psychology DepartmentBen Gurion University of the NegevBeer‐ShebaIsrael,Zlotowski Center for NeuroscienceBen Gurion University of the NegevBeer‐ShebaIsrael
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Dunbar RIM. Managing the stresses of group-living in the transition to village life. EVOLUTIONARY HUMAN SCIENCES 2022; 4:e40. [PMID: 37588930 PMCID: PMC10426039 DOI: 10.1017/ehs.2022.39] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/22/2022] [Revised: 07/16/2022] [Accepted: 08/16/2022] [Indexed: 11/07/2022] Open
Abstract
Group living is stressful for all mammals, and these stresses limit the size of their social groups. Humans live in very large groups by mammal standards, so how have they solved this problem? I use homicide rates as an index of within-community stress for humans living in small-scale ethnographic societies, and show that the frequency of homicide increases linearly with living-group size in hunter-gatherers. This is not, however, the case for cultivators living in permanent settlements, where there appears to be a 'glass ceiling' below which homicide rates oscillate. This glass ceiling correlates with the adoption of social institutions that allow tensions to be managed. The results suggest (a) that the transition to a settled lifestyle in the Neolithic may have been more challenging than is usually assumed and (b) that the increases in settlement size that followed the first villages necessitated the introduction of a series of social institutions designed to manage within-community discord.
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Affiliation(s)
- R. I. M. Dunbar
- Department of Experimental Psychology, University of Oxford, Radcliffe Observatory Quarter, Oxford OX2 6GG, UK
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17
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Brooks NJ, Wang B, Binnie I, Tanksalvala M, Esashi Y, Knobloch JL, Nguyen QLD, McBennett B, Jenkins NW, Gui G, Zhang Z, Kapteyn HC, Murnane MM, Bevis CS. Temporal and spectral multiplexing for EUV multibeam ptychography with a high harmonic light source. OPTICS EXPRESS 2022; 30:30331-30346. [PMID: 36242139 DOI: 10.1364/oe.458955] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/21/2022] [Accepted: 07/13/2022] [Indexed: 06/16/2023]
Abstract
We demonstrate temporally multiplexed multibeam ptychography implemented for the first time in the EUV, by using a high harmonic based light source. This allows for simultaneous imaging of different sample areas, or of the same area at different times or incidence angles. Furthermore, we show that this technique is compatible with wavelength multiplexing for multibeam spectroscopic imaging, taking full advantage of the temporal and spectral characteristics of high harmonic light sources. This technique enables increased data throughput using a simple experimental implementation and with high photon efficiency.
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18
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Theofanopoulou C, Andirkó A, Boeckx C, Jarvis ED. Oxytocin and vasotocin receptor variation and the evolution of human prosociality. COMPREHENSIVE PSYCHONEUROENDOCRINOLOGY 2022; 11:100139. [PMID: 35757177 PMCID: PMC9227999 DOI: 10.1016/j.cpnec.2022.100139] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/15/2022] [Revised: 04/25/2022] [Accepted: 04/27/2022] [Indexed: 11/04/2022] Open
Abstract
Modern human lifestyle strongly depends on complex social traits like empathy, tolerance and cooperation. These diverse facets of social cognition have been associated with variation in the oxytocin receptor (OTR) and its sister genes, the vasotocin/vasopressin receptors (VTR1A/AVPR1A and AVPR1B/VTR1B). Here, we compared the available genomic sequences of these receptors between modern humans, archaic humans, and 12 non-human primate species, and identified sites that show heterozygous variation in modern humans and archaic humans distinct from variation in other primates, and for which we could find association studies with clinical implications. On these sites, we performed a range of analyses (variant clustering, pathogenicity prediction, regulation, linkage disequilibrium frequency), and reviewed the literature on selection data in different modern-human populations. We found five sites with modern human specific variation, where the modern human allele is the major allele in the global population (OTR: rs1042778, rs237885, rs6770632; VTR1A: rs10877969; VTR1B: rs33985287). Among them, variation in the OTR-rs6770632 site was predicted to be the most functional. Two alleles (OTR: rs59190448 and rs237888) present only in modern humans and archaic humans were putatively under positive selection in modern humans, with rs237888 predicted to be a highly functional site. Three sites showed convergent evolution between modern humans and bonobos (OTR: rs2228485 and rs237897; VTR1A: rs1042615), with OTR-rs2228485 ranking highly in terms of functionality and reported to be under balancing selection in modern humans (Schaschl, 2015) [1]. Our findings have implications for understanding hominid prosociality, as well as the similarities between modern human and bonobo social behavior. We compared the oxytocin/vasotocin receptors in modern humans, archaic humans, and non-human primates. We found 5 sites with modern human specific variation. In these sites, the modern human allele is the major allele in the global population. Several sites were predicted to be functional and with selection signatures in modern humans. We also identified 3 sites of convergent evolution in modern humans and bonobos.
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Setiowati D, Maudina S, Jamaludin J, Rasdiyanah R. Psycho-Religious Therapy improving the Quality of Life of the Elderly in Nursing Homes. Open Access Maced J Med Sci 2022. [DOI: 10.3889/oamjms.2022.9186] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/05/2022] Open
Abstract
Abstract
BACKGROUND As people get older, body functions in the elderly will decrease so that it will affect their quality of life. One way to improve the quality of life of the elderly is to meet the basic needs of the elderly through a spiritual approach (Islamic psychotherapy).
AIM: This study aims to determine the effect of Zikr on the quality of life of the elderly in nursing homes.
METHODS: This study used a quasi-experimental nonequivalent control group design. The sampling technique used purposive sampling , a total of 10 respondents from the intervention group and 10 respondents from the control group. Quality of life score using the World Health Organization Quality of Life-BREF questionnaire (WHOQOL-BREF). The research analysis used paired t-test and Wilcoxon test for differences in quality-of-life scores of each group and for differences in quality of life between the intervention group and control group using unpaired t-test and Mann-Whitney test.
RESULTS: The effect of psycho-religious therapy (Zikr) on the quality of life of the elderly in the intervention group before and after doing Zikr (p = 0.000), there were differences in 3 domains of quality of life, namely the psychological domain ( p = 0.000), the domain of social relations (p = 0.027), and the environmental domain. p = 0.010).
CONCLUSION: Psycho-religious therapy (Zikr) affects the quality of life of the elderly in the nursing home and suggests Nursing homes to provide guidance with a religious approach, especially Zikr to improve the quality of life of the elderly.
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20
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Ballantyne JC, Sullivan MD. Is Chronic Pain a Disease? THE JOURNAL OF PAIN 2022; 23:1651-1665. [PMID: 35577236 DOI: 10.1016/j.jpain.2022.05.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/26/2022] [Revised: 04/24/2022] [Accepted: 05/06/2022] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
It was not until the twentieth century that pain was considered a disease. Before that it was managed medically as a symptom. The motivations for declaring chronic pain a disease, whether of the body or of the brain, include increasing its legitimacy as clinical problem and research focus worthy of attention from healthcare and research organizations alike. But 1 problem with disease concepts is that having a disease favors medical solutions and tends to reduce patient participation. We argue that chronic pain, particularly chronic primary pain (recently designated a first tier pain diagnosis in International Diagnostic Codes 11), is a learned state that is not intransigent even if it has biological correlates. Chronic pain is sometimes a symptom, and may sometimes be its own disease. But here we question the value of a disease focus for much of chronic pain for which patient involvement is essential, and which may need a much broader societal approach than is suggested by the disease designation. PERSPECTIVE: This article examines whether designating chronic pain a disease of the body or brain is helpful or harmful to patients. Can the disease designation help advance treatment, and is it needed to achieve future therapeutic breakthrough? Or does it make patients over-reliant on medical intervention and reduce their engagement in the process of recovery?
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Affiliation(s)
- Jane C Ballantyne
- Department of Anesthesiology and Pain Medicine, University of Washington School of Medicine, Seattle, Washington.
| | - Mark D Sullivan
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, University of Washington School of Medicine, Seattle, Washington
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21
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Liberati AS, Calcaprina B, Adriani W. Keeping Track of the Genealogy of Heterozygotes Using Epigenetic Reference Codes and Breeding Tables. Front Behav Neurosci 2022; 15:781235. [PMID: 35221940 PMCID: PMC8874286 DOI: 10.3389/fnbeh.2021.781235] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/22/2021] [Accepted: 12/13/2021] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Studying neurobehavioral consequences of the hypofunctional dopamine transporter (DAT) across several generations entails the need to monitor allelic transmission to offspring, taking into account both maternal and paternal inheritance. Since each type of heterozygote expresses differential phenotypes, based on lineage of inheritance for wild and mutated alleles (from male or female ancestors), it is important to track transgenerational epigenetic effects. We deemed it essential to assign specific abbreviations identifying their characteristics. Therefore, we devised a Mendelian-inspired table to keep track of these. Starting from two progenitors (WT and KO) we named resulting heterozygous progenies MAT and PAT to differentiate them based on inheritance of the wild allele (from the mother or father). Tracing subsequent generations, similar logic has been followed: if coupling HET dams with KO males, initials “M” [(grand)maternal] and “P” [(grand)paternal] are kept, but “AT” is turned into “IX” (MIX and PIX), while if breeding HETs with WTs, “M” is changed to “W” resembling an upside down “M” and “P” to “S” for “sperm” (WAT and SOT). To underline the development within “hyperdopaminergic-uterus” a central letter “U” is added (MUX, PUX, and QULL), while a Greek initial (μAT, μIX, and νIX) underlines the uterine-worsened origin of the allele. In HET × HET breeding (GIX and DIX), the mutated allele can be inherited from both sides of the genealogical line. However, when the mother is MAT, wild and mutated alleles encounter for the first time, causing putative anomalies in the progeny. Replacing dam with a second-generation female (MIX and MUX) may mitigate epigenetic effects on third-generation offspring; therefore suffixes (“-f,” “-fu,” “-ϕ,” and “-ϕu”) emphasize that subsequent-generation dams imply that the alleles already encountered in HET (rather than WT) grand-dams.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anna Sara Liberati
- Faculty of Psychology, Università Telematica Internazionale “Uninettuno,” Rome, Italy
| | - Barbara Calcaprina
- Faculty of Psychology, Università Telematica Internazionale “Uninettuno,” Rome, Italy
| | - Walter Adriani
- Faculty of Psychology, Università Telematica Internazionale “Uninettuno,” Rome, Italy
- Center for Behavioral Sciences and Mental Health, Istituto Superiore di Sanità, Rome, Italy
- *Correspondence: Walter Adriani,
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23
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Lying in spatial proximity and active social behaviours capture different information when analysed at group level in indoor-housed pigs. Appl Anim Behav Sci 2022. [DOI: 10.1016/j.applanim.2021.105540] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/30/2022]
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Matsunaga M, Ohtsubo Y, Masuda T, Noguchi Y, Yamasue H, Ishii K. A Genetic Variation in the Y Chromosome Among Modern Japanese Males Related to Several Physiological and Psychological Characteristics. Front Behav Neurosci 2021; 15:774879. [PMID: 34924970 PMCID: PMC8675941 DOI: 10.3389/fnbeh.2021.774879] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/15/2021] [Accepted: 11/12/2021] [Indexed: 01/04/2023] Open
Abstract
Previous studies in population genetics have proposed that the Y-chromosomal (Y-DNA) haplogroup D ancestor likely originated from Africa. The haplogroup D branch next started Out-of-Africa migration, rapidly expanded across Eurasia, and later diversified in East Asia. Y-DNA haplogroup D-M55, one of the branches of haplogroup D, is only found in modern Japanese males, suggesting that individuals with Y-DNA haplogroup D migrated from the Eurasian continent. Based on previous observations, Y-DNA haplogroup D is expected to be associated with some male characteristics including personality. Therefore, this study investigated whether the Y-DNA haplogroup D-M55 is associated with several physiological and psychological characteristics, including exploratory motivation and human relationship-related perception. We recruited Japanese young adult males and females and investigated the association between Y-DNA haplogroup D-M55, physiological [body mass index (BMI)], and several psychological parameters [perceived number of close friends, behavioral inhibition system/behavioral activation system (BIS/BAS), perceived happiness, and perceived loneliness]. The results indicated that males with haplogroup D-M55 had a higher BMI and more close friends, compared with non-carrier males. Additional multiple regression analyses, which tested the hypothesis that haplogroup D-M55 predicts BMI and perceived number of close friends, confirmed our hypothesis, even after controlling for the potentially confounding variables of age and sex. We also analyzed the gene-gene interaction between haplogroup D-M55 and an autosomal gene polymorphism associated with BMI and human relationships, such as the dopamine D2 receptor gene (DRD2: rs1800497). Results showed gene-gene interactions between haplogroups D-M55 and DRD2 in BMI. Based on these findings, it is demonstrated that Y-DNA haplogroup D is associated with human personality.
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Affiliation(s)
- Masahiro Matsunaga
- Department of Health and Psychosocial Medicine, Aichi Medical University School of Medicine, Nagakute, Japan
| | - Yohsuke Ohtsubo
- Department of Social Psychology, Graduate School of Humanities and Sociology, The University of Tokyo, Bunkyō, Japan
| | - Takahiko Masuda
- Department of Psychology, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB, Canada
| | - Yasuki Noguchi
- Department of Psychology, Graduate School of Humanities, Kobe University, Kobe, Japan
| | - Hidenori Yamasue
- Department of Psychiatry, Hamamatsu University School of Medicine, Hamamatsu, Japan
| | - Keiko Ishii
- Department of Cognitive and Psychological Sciences, Graduate School of Informatics, Nagoya University, Nagoya, Japan
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Trofimova I. Contingent Tunes of Neurochemical Ensembles in the Norm and Pathology: Can We See the Patterns? Neuropsychobiology 2021; 80:101-133. [PMID: 33721867 DOI: 10.1159/000513688] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/07/2020] [Accepted: 12/07/2020] [Indexed: 11/19/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND/AIMS Progress in the development of DSM/ICD taxonomies has revealed limitations of both label-based and dimensionality approaches. These approaches fail to address the contingent, nonlinear, context-dependent, and transient nature of those biomarkers linked to specific symptoms of psychopathology or to specific biobehavioural traits of healthy people (temperament). The present review aims to highlight the benefits of a functional constructivism approach in the analysis of neurochemical biomarkers underlying temperament and psychopathology. METHOD A review was performed. RESULTS Eight systems are identified, and 7 neurochemical ensembles are described in detail. None of these systems is represented by a single neurotransmitter; all of them work in ensembles with each other. The functionality and relationships of these systems are presented here in association with their roles in action construction, with brief examples of psychopathology. The review introduces formal symbols for these systems to facilitate their more compact analysis in the future. CONCLUSION This analysis demonstrates the possibility of constructivism-based unifying taxonomies of temperament (in the framework of the neurochemical model functional ensemble of temperament) and classifications of psychiatric disorders. Such taxonomies would present the biobehavioural individual differences as consistent behavioural patterns generated within a formally structured space of parameters related to the generation of behaviour.
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Affiliation(s)
- Irina Trofimova
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioural Neurosciences, McMaster University, Hamilton, Ontario, Canada,
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Trofimova I. Functional Constructivism Approach to Multilevel Nature of Bio-Behavioral Diversity. Front Psychiatry 2021; 12:641286. [PMID: 34777031 PMCID: PMC8578849 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyt.2021.641286] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/14/2020] [Accepted: 09/07/2021] [Indexed: 12/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Attempts to revise the existing classifications of psychiatric disorders (DSM and ICD) continue and highlight a crucial need for the identification of biomarkers underlying symptoms of psychopathology. The present review highlights the benefits of using a Functional Constructivism approach in the analysis of the functionality of the main neurotransmitters. This approach explores the idea that behavior is neither reactive nor pro-active, but constructive and generative, being a transient selection of multiple degrees of freedom in perception and actions. This review briefly describes main consensus points in neuroscience related to the functionality of eight neurochemical ensembles, summarized as a part of the neurochemical model Functional Ensemble of Temperament (FET). None of the FET components is represented by a single neurotransmitter; all neurochemical teams have specific functionality in selection of behavioral degrees of freedom and stages of action construction. The review demonstrates the possibility of unifying taxonomies of temperament and classifications of psychiatric disorders and presenting these taxonomies formally and systematically. The paper also highlights the multi-level nature of regulation of consistent bio-behavioral individual differences, in line with the concepts of diagonal evolution (proposed earlier) and Specialized Extended Phenotype.
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Affiliation(s)
- Irina Trofimova
- Laboratory of Collective Intelligence, Department of Psychiatry and Behavioural Neurosciences, McMaster University, Hamilton, ON, Canada
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27
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Dunbar RIM, Robledo JP, Tamarit I, Cross I, Smith E. Nonverbal Auditory Cues Allow Relationship Quality to be Inferred During Conversations. JOURNAL OF NONVERBAL BEHAVIOR 2021; 46:1-18. [PMID: 35250136 PMCID: PMC8881250 DOI: 10.1007/s10919-021-00386-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 06/16/2021] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
The claim that nonverbal cues provide more information than the linguistic content of a conversational exchange (the Mehrabian Conjecture) has been widely cited and equally widely disputed, mainly on methodological grounds. Most studies that have tested the Conjecture have used individual words or short phrases spoken by actors imitating emotions. While cue recognition is certainly important, speech evolved to manage interactions and relationships rather than simple information exchange. In a cross-cultural design, we tested participants’ ability to identify the quality of the interaction (rapport) in naturalistic third party conversations in their own and a less familiar language, using full auditory content versus audio clips whose verbal content has been digitally altered to differing extents. We found that, using nonverbal content alone, people are 75–90% as accurate as they are with full audio cues in identifying positive vs negative relationships, and 45–53% as accurate in identifying eight different relationship types. The results broadly support Mehrabian’s claim that a significant amount of information about others’ social relationships is conveyed in the nonverbal component of speech.
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Affiliation(s)
- R. I. M. Dunbar
- Department of Experimental Psychology, University of Oxford, Radcliffe Observatory Quarter, Anna Watts Building, Oxford, OX2 6GG UK
| | - Juan-Pablo Robledo
- Centre for Music and Science, Faculty of Music, University of Cambridge, 11 West Road, Cambridge, CB3 9DP UK
- Laboratoire Interpsy, Campus Lettres et Sciences Humaines et Sociales, Université de Lorraine, 23, Bd Albert 1er, 54015 Nancy cedex, France
- Millennium Institute for Caregiving Research (MICARE), Santiago, Chile
| | - Ignacio Tamarit
- Grupo Interdisciplinar de Sistemas Complejos, Departamento de Matemáticas, Universidad Carlos III de Madrid, 28911 Leganés, Madrid, Spain
| | - Ian Cross
- Centre for Music and Science, Faculty of Music, University of Cambridge, 11 West Road, Cambridge, CB3 9DP UK
| | - Emma Smith
- Wysing Arts Centre, Fox Road, Bourn, Cambridge, CB23 2TX UK
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Yamada J, Nakawake Y, Shou Q, Nishina K, Matsunaga M, Takagishi H. Salivary Oxytocin Is Negatively Associated With Religious Faith in Japanese Non-Abrahamic People. Front Psychol 2021; 12:705781. [PMID: 34512461 PMCID: PMC8427280 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2021.705781] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/06/2021] [Accepted: 08/03/2021] [Indexed: 01/02/2023] Open
Abstract
Spirituality and religiosity have a significant impact on one's well-being. Although previous studies have indicated that the neuropeptide hormone oxytocin is associated with spirituality/religiosity, existing findings remain inconsistent. Some studies have reported a positive relationship between oxytocin and spirituality/religiosity, while other studies have reported a negative association. Herein, we examined the association between endogenous oxytocin and spirituality/religiosity in 200 non-Abrahamic Japanese individuals (102 females, mean age ± standard deviation = 41.53 ± 10.46) by measuring the level of salivary oxytocin and spiritual/religious faith. We found that the level of salivary oxytocin was negatively associated with spiritual/religious faith. Individuals with higher levels of salivary oxytocin tend to have more negative spiritual/religious faith compared with those with low oxytocin levels (e.g., “Spirituality/religiosity makes people passive and clinging.”). Moreover, this tendency was only significant in individuals who were not interested in a specific religion. The uniqueness of spirituality/religiosity in Japan could help interpret the current findings.
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Affiliation(s)
- Junko Yamada
- Brain Science Institute, Tamagawa University, Machida, Japan
| | - Yo Nakawake
- Center for the Study of Social Cohesion, University of Oxford, Oxford, United Kingdom.,School of Economics & Management, Kochi University of Technology, Kami, Japan
| | - Qiulu Shou
- Graduate School of Brain Sciences, Tamagawa University, Machida, Japan
| | - Kuniyuki Nishina
- Graduate School of Human Sciences, Osaka University, Suita, Japan
| | - Masahiro Matsunaga
- Department of Health and Psychosocial Medicine, Aichi Medical University, School of Medicine, Nagakute, Japan
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Carollo A, Bonassi A, Cataldo I, Gabrieli G, Tandiono M, Foo JN, Lepri B, Esposito G. The relation between oxytocin receptor gene polymorphisms, adult attachment and Instagram sociability: An exploratory analysis. Heliyon 2021; 7:e07894. [PMID: 34611556 PMCID: PMC8477146 DOI: 10.1016/j.heliyon.2021.e07894] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/04/2021] [Revised: 06/09/2021] [Accepted: 08/27/2021] [Indexed: 10/31/2022] Open
Abstract
Oxytocin is a primary neuropeptide which coordinates affiliative behavior. Previous researchers pointed to the association between genetic vulnerability on Oxytocin Receptor Gene (OXTR) and environmental factors (e.g., social relationships) to comprehend social behavior. Although an extensive knowledge of in-person social interactions has been obtained, little is known about online sociability. A gene-environment perspective is adopted to examine how OXTR and adult attachment moderate Instagram behavior. The genetic factors within the regions OXTR/rs53576 (A/A homozygotes vs G-carriers) and OXTR/rs2254298 (G/G homozygotes vs A-carriers) were assessed. The Experience in Close Relationships-Revised (ECR-R) questionnaire was used to collect participants' (N = 57, 16 males) attachment with a partner. The number of posts, followed people ("followings") and followers were obtained from Instagram, and the Social Desirability Index (SDI) was calculated as the ratio of followers to followings. Interaction effects between OXTR groups and ECR-R scores on the number of posts and SDI were hypothesized. Results showed an effect of rs53576 on the number of Instagram followings. Specifically, people with A/A OXTR/rs53576 genotype had more followings than G-carriers independent of the anxiety or avoidance felt towards their partner. These preliminary results offer insights into future investigations on social media behavior.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alessandro Carollo
- Department of Psychology and Cognitive Science, University of Trento, Rovereto, Italy
| | - Andrea Bonassi
- Department of Psychology and Cognitive Science, University of Trento, Rovereto, Italy
- Mobile and Social Computing Lab, Foundation Bruno Kessler, Trento, Italy
| | - Ilaria Cataldo
- Department of Psychology and Cognitive Science, University of Trento, Rovereto, Italy
| | - Giulio Gabrieli
- Psychology Program, School of Social Sciences, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore, Singapore
| | - Moses Tandiono
- Lee Kong Chian School of Medicine, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore, Singapore
- Human Genetics, Genome Institute of Singapore, Singapore, Singapore
| | - Jia Nee Foo
- Lee Kong Chian School of Medicine, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore, Singapore
- Human Genetics, Genome Institute of Singapore, Singapore, Singapore
| | - Bruno Lepri
- Mobile and Social Computing Lab, Foundation Bruno Kessler, Trento, Italy
| | - Gianluca Esposito
- Department of Psychology and Cognitive Science, University of Trento, Rovereto, Italy
- Psychology Program, School of Social Sciences, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore, Singapore
- Lee Kong Chian School of Medicine, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore, Singapore
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30
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Dobewall H, Keltikangas-Järvinen L, Saarinen A, Lyytikäinen LP, Zwir I, Cloninger R, Raitakari OT, Lehtimäki T, Hintsanen M. Genetic differential susceptibility to the parent-child relationship quality and the life span development of compassion. Dev Psychobiol 2021; 63:e22184. [PMID: 34423428 DOI: 10.1002/dev.22184] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/11/2020] [Revised: 06/26/2021] [Accepted: 07/06/2021] [Indexed: 11/11/2022]
Abstract
The development of compassion for others might be influenced by the social experiences made during childhood and has a genetic component. No research has yet investigated whether the parent-child relationship quality interacts with genetic variation in the oxytocin and dopamine systems in predicting compassion over the life span. In the prospective Young Finns Study (N = 2099, 43.9% men), we examined the interaction between mother-reported emotional warmth and intolerance toward their child assessed in 1980 (age of participants, 3-18 years) and two established genetic risk scores for oxytocin levels and dopamine signaling activity. Dispositional compassion for others was measured with the Temperament and Character Inventory 1997, 2001, and 2012 (age of participants, 20-50 years). We found a gene-environment interaction (p = .031) that remained marginally significant after adjustment for multiple testing. In line with the differential susceptibility hypothesis, only participants who carry alleles associated with low dopamine signaling activity had higher levels of compassion when growing up with emotionally warm parents, whereas they had lower levels of compassion when their parents were emotionally cold. Children's genetic variability in the dopamine system might result in plasticity to early environmental influences that have a long-lasting effect on the development of compassion. However, our findings need replication.
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Affiliation(s)
- Henrik Dobewall
- Division of Psychology, Faculty of Education, University of Oulu, Oulu, Finland.,Department of Psychology and Logopedics, Faculty of Medicine, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland.,Department of Clinical Chemistry, Fimlab Laboratories, and Finnish Cardiovascular Research Center - Tampere, Faculty of Medicine and Health Technology, Tampere University, Tampere, Finland
| | | | - Aino Saarinen
- Department of Psychology and Logopedics, Faculty of Medicine, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
| | - Leo-Pekka Lyytikäinen
- Department of Clinical Chemistry, Fimlab Laboratories, and Finnish Cardiovascular Research Center - Tampere, Faculty of Medicine and Health Technology, Tampere University, Tampere, Finland.,Finnish Cardiovascular Research Center, Faculty of Medicine and Health Technology, Tampere University, Tampere, Finland
| | - Igor Zwir
- Department of Psychiatry, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, Missouri, United States.,Department of Computer Science, University of Granada, Granada, Spain
| | - Robert Cloninger
- Department of Psychiatry, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, Missouri, United States
| | - Olli T Raitakari
- Centre for Population Health Research, University of Turku and Turku University Hospital, Turku, Finland.,Research Centre of Applied and Preventive Cardiovascular Medicine, University of Turku, Turku, Finland.,Department of Clinical Physiology and Nuclear Medicine, Turku University Hospital, Turku, Finland
| | - Terho Lehtimäki
- Department of Clinical Chemistry, Fimlab Laboratories, and Finnish Cardiovascular Research Center - Tampere, Faculty of Medicine and Health Technology, Tampere University, Tampere, Finland.,Finnish Cardiovascular Research Center, Faculty of Medicine and Health Technology, Tampere University, Tampere, Finland
| | - Mirka Hintsanen
- Division of Psychology, Faculty of Education, University of Oulu, Oulu, Finland
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31
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Dunbar RIM, Frangou A, Grainger F, Pearce E. Laughter influences social bonding but not prosocial generosity to friends and strangers. PLoS One 2021; 16:e0256229. [PMID: 34388212 PMCID: PMC8362988 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0256229] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/24/2021] [Accepted: 08/03/2021] [Indexed: 12/30/2022] Open
Abstract
Humans deploy a number of specific behaviours for forming social bonds, one of which is laughter. However, two questions have not yet been investigated with respect to laughter: (1) Does laughter increase the sense of bonding to those with whom we laugh? and (2) Does laughter facilitate prosocial generosity? Using changes in pain threshold as a proxy for endorphin upregulation in the brain and a standard economic game (the Dictator Game) as an assay of prosociality, we show that laughter does trigger the endorphin system and, through that, seems to enhance social bonding, but it does not reliably influence donations to others. This suggests that social bonding and prosociality may operate via different mechanisms, or on different time scales, and relate to different functional objectives.
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Affiliation(s)
- R. I. M. Dunbar
- Department of Experimental Psychology, University of Oxford, Oxford, United Kingdom
| | - Anna Frangou
- Big Data Institute, University of Oxford, Oxford, United Kingdom
| | - Felix Grainger
- Department of Experimental Psychology, University of Oxford, Oxford, United Kingdom
| | - Eiluned Pearce
- Department of Experimental Psychology, University of Oxford, Oxford, United Kingdom
- Department of Psychiatry, University College London, London, United Kingdom
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32
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Dunbar RIM, Pearce E, Tarr B, Makdani A, Bamford J, Smith S, McGlone F. Cochlear SGN neurons elevate pain thresholds in response to music. Sci Rep 2021; 11:14547. [PMID: 34267302 PMCID: PMC8282857 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-021-93969-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/06/2021] [Accepted: 06/28/2021] [Indexed: 11/22/2022] Open
Abstract
The C-tactile (CLTM) peripheral nervous system is involved in social bonding in primates and humans through its capacity to trigger the brain’s endorphin system. Since the mammalian cochlea has an unusually high density of similar neurons (type-II spiral ganglion neurons, SGNs), we hypothesise that their function may have been exploited for social bonding by co-opting head movements in response to music and other rhythmic movements of the head in social contexts. Music provides one of many cultural behavioural mechanisms for ‘virtual grooming’ in that it is used to trigger the endorphin system with many people simultaneously so as to bond both dyadic relationships and large groups. Changes in pain threshold across an activity are a convenient proxy assay for endorphin uptake in the brain, and we use this, in two experiments, to show that pain thresholds are higher when nodding the head than when sitting still.
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Affiliation(s)
- R I M Dunbar
- Department of Experimental Psychology, University of Oxford, Anna Watts Building, Radcliffe Observatory Quarter, Oxford, OX1 6GG, UK.
| | - Eiluned Pearce
- Department of Experimental Psychology, University of Oxford, Anna Watts Building, Radcliffe Observatory Quarter, Oxford, OX1 6GG, UK.,Division of Psychiatry, University College London, London, WC1A 4AA, UK
| | - Bronwyn Tarr
- Institute of Cognitive and Evolutionary Anthropology, University of Oxford, Banbury Road, Oxford, OX2 6PE, UK
| | - Adarsh Makdani
- Research Centre Brain and Behaviour, Liverpool John Moores University, Liverpool, L3 3AF, UK
| | - Joshua Bamford
- Institute of Cognitive and Evolutionary Anthropology, University of Oxford, Banbury Road, Oxford, OX2 6PE, UK
| | - Sharon Smith
- Research Centre Brain and Behaviour, Liverpool John Moores University, Liverpool, L3 3AF, UK
| | - Francis McGlone
- Research Centre Brain and Behaviour, Liverpool John Moores University, Liverpool, L3 3AF, UK.,Institute of Psychology, Health and Society, University of Liverpool, Liverpool, UK
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33
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Brancato A, Lo Russo SLM, Liberati AS, Carbone C, Zelli S, Laviola G, Cannizzaro C, Adriani W. Social Interactions of Dat-Het Epi-Genotypes Differing for Maternal Origins: The Development of a New Preclinical Model of Socio-Sexual Apathy. Biomedicines 2021; 9:778. [PMID: 34356842 PMCID: PMC8301365 DOI: 10.3390/biomedicines9070778] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/14/2021] [Revised: 06/22/2021] [Accepted: 06/30/2021] [Indexed: 01/01/2023] Open
Abstract
Social interaction is essential for life but is impaired in many psychiatric disorders. We presently focus on rats with a truncated allele for dopamine transporter (DAT). Since heterozygous individuals possess only one non-mutant allele, epigenetic interactions may unmask latent genetic predispositions. Homogeneous "maternal" heterozygous offspring (termed MAT-HET) were born from dopamine-transporter knocked-out (DAT-KO) male rats and wild-type (WT) mothers; "mixed" heterozygous offspring (termed MIX-HET) were born from both DAT-heterozygous parents. Their social behavior was assessed by: partner-preference (PPT), social-preference (SPT) and elicited-preference (EPT) tests. During the PPT, focal MIX-HET and MAT-HET males had a choice between two WT females, one in estrous and the other not. In the SPT, they met as stimulus either a MIX-HET or a WT male. In the EPT, the preference of focal male WT rats towards either a MIX- or a MAT-HET stimulus was tested. MIX-HET focal males showed an abnormal behavior, seeming not interested in socializing either with a female in estrous or with another male if MIX-HET. Focal MAT-HET males, instead, were very attracted by the female in estrous, but totally ignored the MIX-HET male. We assessed the expression of noradrenaline transporter (NET) in prefrontal cortex, hippocampus and hypothalamus, finding differences between the two offspring. MIX-HETs' hypothalamus and hippocampus showed less NET than MAT-HETs, while the latter, in turn, showed higher NET than WTs. These behavioral differences between heterozygous groups may be attributed to different maternal cares received. Results allow preclinical understanding of epigenetic factors involved in social-behavior abnormalities, typical of many psychiatric disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anna Brancato
- Department of Health Promotion, Mother and Child Care, Internal Medicine and Medical Specialties of Excellence “G. D’Alessandro”, University of Palermo, 90127 Palermo, Italy; (A.B.); (C.C.)
| | - Sara L. M. Lo Russo
- Center for Behavioral Sciences and Mental Health, Istituto Superiore di Sanità, 00161 Rome, Italy; (S.L.M.L.R.); (C.C.); (S.Z.); (G.L.)
| | - Anna Sara Liberati
- Faculty of Psychology, Università Telematica Internazionale “Uninettuno”, 00186 Rome, Italy;
| | - Cristiana Carbone
- Center for Behavioral Sciences and Mental Health, Istituto Superiore di Sanità, 00161 Rome, Italy; (S.L.M.L.R.); (C.C.); (S.Z.); (G.L.)
| | - Silvia Zelli
- Center for Behavioral Sciences and Mental Health, Istituto Superiore di Sanità, 00161 Rome, Italy; (S.L.M.L.R.); (C.C.); (S.Z.); (G.L.)
| | - Giovanni Laviola
- Center for Behavioral Sciences and Mental Health, Istituto Superiore di Sanità, 00161 Rome, Italy; (S.L.M.L.R.); (C.C.); (S.Z.); (G.L.)
| | - Carla Cannizzaro
- Department of Health Promotion, Mother and Child Care, Internal Medicine and Medical Specialties of Excellence “G. D’Alessandro”, University of Palermo, 90127 Palermo, Italy; (A.B.); (C.C.)
| | - Walter Adriani
- Center for Behavioral Sciences and Mental Health, Istituto Superiore di Sanità, 00161 Rome, Italy; (S.L.M.L.R.); (C.C.); (S.Z.); (G.L.)
- Faculty of Psychology, Università Telematica Internazionale “Uninettuno”, 00186 Rome, Italy;
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34
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Han M, Jiang G, Luo H, Shao Y. Neurobiological Bases of Social Networks. Front Psychol 2021; 12:626337. [PMID: 33995181 PMCID: PMC8119875 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2021.626337] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/05/2020] [Accepted: 04/06/2021] [Indexed: 12/16/2022] Open
Abstract
A social network is a web that integrates multiple levels of interindividual social relationships and has direct associations with an individual’s health and well-being. Previous research has mainly focused on how brain and social network structures (structural properties) act on each other and on how the brain supports the spread of ideas and behaviors within social networks (functional properties). The structure of the social network is correlated with activity in the amygdala, which links decoding and interpreting social signals and social values. The structure also relies on the mentalizing network, which is central to an individual’s ability to infer the mental states of others. Network functional properties depend on multilayer brain-social networks, indicating that information transmission is supported by the default mode system, the valuation system, and the mentalizing system. From the perspective of neuroendocrinology, overwhelming evidence shows that variations in oxytocin, β-endorphin and dopamine receptor genes, including oxytocin receptor (OXTR), mu opioid receptor 1 (OPRM1) and dopamine receptor 2 (DRD2), predict an individual’s social network structure, whereas oxytocin also contributes to improved transmission of emotional and behavioral information from person to person. Overall, previous studies have comprehensively revealed the effects of the brain, endocrine system, and genes on social networks. Future studies are required to determine the effects of cognitive abilities, such as memory, on social networks, the characteristics and neural mechanism of social networks in mental illness and how social networks change over time through the use of longitudinal methods.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mengfei Han
- School of Psychology, Beijing Sport University, Beijing, China
| | - Gaofang Jiang
- College of Education, Cangzhou Normal University, Cangzhou, China
| | - Haoshuang Luo
- Key Laboratory of Mental Health, Institute of Psychology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China.,Department of Psychology, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Yongcong Shao
- School of Psychology, Beijing Sport University, Beijing, China
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35
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Chander RJ, Mather KA, Cleary R, Grainger SA, Thalamuthu A, Numbers K, Kochan NA, Armstrong NJ, Brodaty H, Henry JD, Sachdev PS. The influence of rs53576 polymorphism in the oxytocin receptor ( OXTR) gene on empathy in healthy adults by subtype and ethnicity: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Rev Neurosci 2021; 33:43-57. [PMID: 33892530 DOI: 10.1515/revneuro-2021-0038] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/09/2021] [Accepted: 03/27/2021] [Indexed: 11/15/2022]
Abstract
Empathy is essential for navigating complex social environments. Prior work has shown associations between rs53576, a single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) located in the oxytocin receptor gene (OXTR), and generalized empathy. We undertook a systematic review and meta-analysis to assess the effects of rs53576 on subdomains of empathy, specifically cognitive empathy (CE) and affective empathy (AE), in healthy adults. Twenty cohorts of 8933 participants aged 18-98 were identified, including data from the Sydney Memory and Ageing Study, a cohort of older community adults. Meta-analyses found G homozygotes had greater generalized empathic abilities only in young to middle-aged adults. While meta-analyses of empathy subdomains yielded no significant overall effects, there were differential effects based on ethnicity. G homozygotes were associated with greater CE abilities in Asian cohorts (standardized mean difference; SMD: 0.09 [2.8·10-3-0.18]), and greater AE performance in European cohorts [SMD: 0.12 (0.04-0.21)]. The current literature highlights a need for further work that distinguishes between genetic and ethnocultural effects and explores effects of advanced age on this relationship.
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Affiliation(s)
- Russell J Chander
- Centre for Healthy Brain Ageing (CHeBA), School of Psychiatry, University of New South Wales, Sydney, NSW 2052, Australia
| | - Karen A Mather
- Centre for Healthy Brain Ageing (CHeBA), School of Psychiatry, University of New South Wales, Sydney, NSW 2052, Australia.,Neuroscience Research Australia (NeuRA), Sydney, NSW 2031, Australia
| | - Rhiagh Cleary
- Centre for Healthy Brain Ageing (CHeBA), School of Psychiatry, University of New South Wales, Sydney, NSW 2052, Australia
| | - Sarah A Grainger
- School of Psychology, The University of Queensland, St Lucia, QLD, Australia
| | - Anbupalam Thalamuthu
- Centre for Healthy Brain Ageing (CHeBA), School of Psychiatry, University of New South Wales, Sydney, NSW 2052, Australia
| | - Katya Numbers
- Centre for Healthy Brain Ageing (CHeBA), School of Psychiatry, University of New South Wales, Sydney, NSW 2052, Australia
| | - Nicole A Kochan
- Centre for Healthy Brain Ageing (CHeBA), School of Psychiatry, University of New South Wales, Sydney, NSW 2052, Australia
| | - Nicola J Armstrong
- Centre for Healthy Brain Ageing (CHeBA), School of Psychiatry, University of New South Wales, Sydney, NSW 2052, Australia.,Discipline of Mathematics and Statistics, Curtin University, Perth, WA 6102, Australia
| | - Henry Brodaty
- Centre for Healthy Brain Ageing (CHeBA), School of Psychiatry, University of New South Wales, Sydney, NSW 2052, Australia.,Dementia Centre for Research Collaboration (DCRC), School of Psychiatry, University of New South Wales, Sydney, NSW 2052, Australia
| | - Julie D Henry
- School of Psychology, The University of Queensland, St Lucia, QLD, Australia
| | - Perminder S Sachdev
- Centre for Healthy Brain Ageing (CHeBA), School of Psychiatry, University of New South Wales, Sydney, NSW 2052, Australia.,Neuropsychiatric Institute, Prince of Wales Hospital, Randwick, NSW 2031, Australia
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36
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Dobewall H, Saarinen A, Lyytikäinen LP, Keltikangas-Järvinen L, Lehtimäki T, Hintsanen M. Functional Polymorphisms in Oxytocin and Dopamine Pathway Genes and the Development of Dispositional Compassion Over Time: The Young Finns Study. Front Psychol 2021; 12:576346. [PMID: 33897514 PMCID: PMC8060576 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2021.576346] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/21/2020] [Accepted: 03/03/2021] [Indexed: 12/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Background: We define compassion as an enduring disposition that centers upon empathetic concern for another person's suffering and the motivation to act to alleviate it. The contribution of specific candidate genes to the development of dispositional compassion for others is currently unknown. We examine candidate genes in the oxytocin and dopamine signaling pathways. Methods: In a 32-year follow-up of the Young Finns Study (N = 2,130, 44.0% men), we examined with multiple indicators latent growth curve modeling the molecular genetic underpinnings of dispositional compassion for others across the life span. We selected five single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) whose functions are known in humans: rs2268498 (OXTR), rs3796863 (CD38) (related to lower oxytocin levels), rs1800497 (ANKK1/DRD2), rs4680 (COMT), and rs1611115 (DBH) (related to higher dopamine levels). Compassion was measured with Cloninger's Temperament and Character Inventory on three repeated observations spanning 15 years (1997–2012). Differences between gender were tested. Results: We did not find an effect of the five SNPs in oxytocin and dopamine pathway genes on the initial levels of dispositional compassion for others. Individuals who carry one or two copies of the T-allele of DBH rs1611115, however, tend to increase faster in compassion over time than those homozygotes for the C-allele, b = 0.063 (SE = 0.027; p = 0.018). This effect was largely driven by male participants, 0.206 (SE = 0.046; p < 0.001), and was not significant in female participants when analyzed separately. Conclusions: Men who are known to have, on average, lower compassion than women seem to reduce this difference over time if they carry the T-allele of DBH rs1611115. The direction of the association indicates that dopamine signaling activity rather than overall dopamine levels might drive the development of compassion.
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Affiliation(s)
- Henrik Dobewall
- Research Unit of Psychology, University of Oulu, Oulu, Finland.,Department of Psychology and Logopedics, Faculty of Medicine, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland.,Fimlab Laboratories, and Finnish Cardiovascular Research Center - Tampere, Department of Clinical Chemistry, Faculty of Medicine and Health Technology, Tampere University, Tampere, Finland
| | - Aino Saarinen
- Research Unit of Psychology, University of Oulu, Oulu, Finland.,Department of Psychology and Logopedics, Faculty of Medicine, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
| | - Leo-Pekka Lyytikäinen
- Fimlab Laboratories, and Finnish Cardiovascular Research Center - Tampere, Department of Clinical Chemistry, Faculty of Medicine and Health Technology, Tampere University, Tampere, Finland
| | | | - Terho Lehtimäki
- Fimlab Laboratories, and Finnish Cardiovascular Research Center - Tampere, Department of Clinical Chemistry, Faculty of Medicine and Health Technology, Tampere University, Tampere, Finland
| | - Mirka Hintsanen
- Research Unit of Psychology, University of Oulu, Oulu, Finland
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37
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Banerjee D, Vasquez V, Pecchio M, Hegde ML, Ks Jagannatha R, Rao TS. RETRACTED: Biopsychosocial intersections of social/affective touch and psychiatry: Implications of 'touch hunger' during COVID-19. Int J Soc Psychiatry 2021:20764021997485. [PMID: 33622067 DOI: 10.1177/0020764021997485] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/20/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Debanjan Banerjee
- Department of Psychiatry, National Institute of Mental Health and Neurosciences (NIMHANS), Bangalore, Karnataka, India
| | - Velmarini Vasquez
- Centre for Neuroscience, Instituto de Investigaciones Científicas y Servicios de Alta Tecnología, City of Knowledge, Panama City, Republic of Panama and Sistema Nacional de Investigación, SENACYT, Panama City, Republic of Panama
| | - Marisin Pecchio
- Centre for Academic Affairs and Collaborations, Instituto de Investigaciones Científicas y Servicios de Alta Tecnología, City of Knowledge, Panama City, Republic of Panama
| | - Muralidhar L Hegde
- Department of Neurosurgery, Center for Neuroregeneration, Houston Methodist Research Institute, Houston, TX, USA
- Weill Cornell Medical College of Cornell University, New York, NY, USA
| | - Rao Ks Jagannatha
- Centre for Neuroscience, Instituto de Investigaciones Científicas y Servicios de Alta Tecnología, City of Knowledge, Panama City, Republic of Panama and Sistema Nacional de Investigación, SENACYT, Panama City, Republic of Panama
| | - Ts Sathyanarayana Rao
- Department of Psychiatry, JSS Medical College and Hospital, JSS Academy of Higher Education and Research, Mysuru, Karnataka, India
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38
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Keeping littermates together instead of social mixing benefits pig social behaviour and growth post-weaning. Appl Anim Behav Sci 2021. [DOI: 10.1016/j.applanim.2021.105230] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
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39
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Alexander R, Aragón OR, Bookwala J, Cherbuin N, Gatt JM, Kahrilas IJ, Kästner N, Lawrence A, Lowe L, Morrison RG, Mueller SC, Nusslock R, Papadelis C, Polnaszek KL, Helene Richter S, Silton RL, Styliadis C. The neuroscience of positive emotions and affect: Implications for cultivating happiness and wellbeing. Neurosci Biobehav Rev 2021; 121:220-249. [PMID: 33307046 DOI: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2020.12.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 54] [Impact Index Per Article: 18.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/26/2019] [Revised: 11/10/2020] [Accepted: 12/06/2020] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
This review paper provides an integrative account regarding neurophysiological correlates of positive emotions and affect that cumulatively contribute to the scaffolding for happiness and wellbeing in humans and other animals. This paper reviews the associations among neurotransmitters, hormones, brain networks, and cognitive functions in the context of positive emotions and affect. Consideration of lifespan developmental perspectives are incorporated, and we also examine the impact of healthy social relationships and environmental contexts on the modulation of positive emotions and affect. The neurophysiological processes that implement positive emotions are dynamic and modifiable, and meditative practices as well as flow states that change patterns of brain function and ultimately support wellbeing are also discussed. This review is part of "The Human Affectome Project" (http://neuroqualia.org/background.php), and in order to advance a primary aim of the Human Affectome Project, we also reviewed relevant linguistic dimensions and terminology that characterizes positive emotions and wellbeing. These linguistic dimensions are discussed within the context of the neuroscience literature with the overarching goal of generating novel recommendations for advancing neuroscience research on positive emotions and wellbeing.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rebecca Alexander
- Neuroscience Research Australia, Randwick, Sydney, NSW, 2031, Australia; Australian National University, Canberra, ACT, 2601, Australia
| | - Oriana R Aragón
- Yale University, 2 Hillhouse Ave, New Haven, CT, 06520, USA; Clemson University, 252 Sirrine Hall, Clemson, SC, 29634, USA
| | - Jamila Bookwala
- Department of Psychology and Program in Aging Studies, Lafayette College, 730 High Road, Easton, PA, USA
| | - Nicolas Cherbuin
- Centre for Research on Ageing, Health, and Wellbeing, Australian National University, Canberra, ACT, 2601, Australia
| | - Justine M Gatt
- Neuroscience Research Australia, Randwick, Sydney, NSW, 2031, Australia; School of Psychology, University of New South Wales, Randwick, Sydney, NSW, 2031, Australia
| | - Ian J Kahrilas
- Department of Psychology, Loyola University Chicago, 1032 W. Sheridan Road, Chicago, IL, 60660, USA
| | - Niklas Kästner
- Department of Behavioural Biology, University of Münster, Badestraße 13, 48149, Münster, Germany
| | - Alistair Lawrence
- Scotland's Rural College, King's Buildings, Edinburgh, EH9 3JG, United Kingdom; The Roslin Institute, University of Edinburgh, Easter Bush, EH25 9RG, United Kingdom
| | - Leroy Lowe
- Neuroqualia (NGO), Truro, NS, B2N 1X5, Canada
| | - Robert G Morrison
- Department of Psychology, Loyola University Chicago, 1032 W. Sheridan Road, Chicago, IL, 60660, USA
| | - Sven C Mueller
- Department of Experimental Clinical and Health Psychology, Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium; Department of Personality, Psychological Assessment and Treatment, University of Deusto, Bilbao, Spain
| | - Robin Nusslock
- Department of Psychology and Institute for Policy Research, Northwestern University, 2029 Sheridan Road, Evanston, IL, 60208, USA
| | - Christos Papadelis
- Jane and John Justin Neurosciences Center, Cook Children's Health Care System, 1500 Cooper St, Fort Worth, TX, 76104, USA; Laboratory of Children's Brain Dynamics, Division of Newborn Medicine, Boston Children's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Kelly L Polnaszek
- Department of Psychology, Loyola University Chicago, 1032 W. Sheridan Road, Chicago, IL, 60660, USA
| | - S Helene Richter
- Department of Behavioural Biology, University of Münster, Badestraße 13, 48149, Münster, Germany
| | - Rebecca L Silton
- Department of Psychology, Loyola University Chicago, 1032 W. Sheridan Road, Chicago, IL, 60660, USA; Institute for Innovations in Developmental Sciences, Northwestern University, 633 N. Saint Clair, Chicago, IL, 60611, USA.
| | - Charis Styliadis
- Neuroscience of Cognition and Affection group, Lab of Medical Physics, School of Medicine, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, Thessaloniki, 54124, Greece
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40
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Huetter FK, Moehlendick B, Knop D, Siffert W. Lack of association of common polymorphisms linked to empathic behavior with self-reported trait empathy in healthy volunteers. Horm Behav 2020; 126:104841. [PMID: 32828797 DOI: 10.1016/j.yhbeh.2020.104841] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/16/2019] [Revised: 08/07/2020] [Accepted: 08/14/2020] [Indexed: 01/28/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND In a previously specified sample of 421 healthy subjects, we found associations of a common oxytocin receptor (OXTR) polymorphism with self-reported trait empathy. In this study, we used this sample to explore polymorphisms in other genes which have been frequently linked to empathic behavior for associations with self-reported trait empathy: CD38 (CD38), involved in oxytocin secretion, the serotonin transporter (SLC6A4), the Catechol-O-Methyltransferase (COMT) and the corticotropin releasing hormone receptor 1 (CRHR1). METHODS We genotyped our sample for the following common polymorphisms: rs3796863 in the CD38 gene, 5-HTTLPR in the SLC6A4 gene, rs4680 in the COMT gene and rs242924 in the CRHR1 gene. Dispositional empathy was tested using Davis' Interpersonal Reactivity Index (IRI). We used a Bonferroni corrected alpha level of p = 0.002 to adjust for multiple comparisons. RESULTS None of the genotypes were associated with any of the IRI scales for the complete sample (n = 421) or for the sub-groups of male (n = 213) and female (n = 190) participants. Our sample of 421 participants achieved 95% power to detect effects greater than r = ±0.18. For smaller effects, however, false negatives could not be rejected with equal confidence as false positives. CONCLUSIONS We conclude that an association between the four polymorphisms with trait empathy measured by the IRI may not be present. We propose that the associations that have been found in other studies can be largely explained by differences in empathy-related constructs and measurements.
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Affiliation(s)
- Franz Korbinian Huetter
- Institut für Pharmakogenetik, Universitätsklinikum Essen, Universität Duisburg Essen, D-45122 Essen, Germany.
| | - Birte Moehlendick
- Institut für Pharmakogenetik, Universitätsklinikum Essen, Universität Duisburg Essen, D-45122 Essen, Germany
| | - Dietmar Knop
- Institut für Transfusionsmedizin, Universitätsklinikum Essen, Universität Duisburg Essen, D-45122 Essen, Germany
| | - Winfried Siffert
- Institut für Pharmakogenetik, Universitätsklinikum Essen, Universität Duisburg Essen, D-45122 Essen, Germany
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41
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Charles SJ, Farias M, van Mulukom V, Saraswati A, Dein S, Watts F, Dunbar RIM. Blocking mu-opioid receptors inhibits social bonding in rituals. Biol Lett 2020; 16:20200485. [PMID: 33050833 PMCID: PMC7655482 DOI: 10.1098/rsbl.2020.0485] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Religious rituals are universal human practices that play a seminal role in community bonding. In two experiments, we tested the role of mu-opioids as the active factor fostering social bonding. We used a mu-opioid blocker (naltrexone) in two double-blind studies of rituals from different religious traditions. We found the same effect across both studies, with naltrexone leading to significantly lower social bonding compared with placebo. These studies suggest that mu-opioids play a significant role in experiences of social bonding within ritual contexts.
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Affiliation(s)
- S J Charles
- Brain, Belief, and Behaviour lab; Centre for Trust, Peace and Social Relations, Coventry University, Cheetah Road, Coventry CV1 2TL, UK
| | - M Farias
- Brain, Belief, and Behaviour lab; Centre for Trust, Peace and Social Relations, Coventry University, Cheetah Road, Coventry CV1 2TL, UK
| | - V van Mulukom
- Brain, Belief, and Behaviour lab; Centre for Trust, Peace and Social Relations, Coventry University, Cheetah Road, Coventry CV1 2TL, UK
| | - A Saraswati
- Traditional Yoga Association, Reading RG30 3DW, UK
| | - S Dein
- Department of Mental Health, Queen Mary University of London, London E1 4NS, UK
| | - F Watts
- International Society for Science and Religion, Cambridge, UK
| | - R I M Dunbar
- Department of Experimental Psychology, University of Oxford, UK
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42
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Sarkar A, Harty S, Johnson KVA, Moeller AH, Carmody RN, Lehto SM, Erdman SE, Dunbar RIM, Burnet PWJ. The role of the microbiome in the neurobiology of social behaviour. Biol Rev Camb Philos Soc 2020; 95:1131-1166. [PMID: 32383208 PMCID: PMC10040264 DOI: 10.1111/brv.12603] [Citation(s) in RCA: 53] [Impact Index Per Article: 13.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/26/2019] [Revised: 04/01/2020] [Accepted: 04/02/2020] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
Microbes colonise all multicellular life, and the gut microbiome has been shown to influence a range of host physiological and behavioural phenotypes. One of the most intriguing and least understood of these influences lies in the domain of the microbiome's interactions with host social behaviour, with new evidence revealing that the gut microbiome makes important contributions to animal sociality. However, little is known about the biological processes through which the microbiome might influence host social behaviour. Here, we synthesise evidence of the gut microbiome's interactions with various aspects of host sociality, including sociability, social cognition, social stress, and autism. We discuss evidence of microbial associations with the most likely physiological mediators of animal social interaction. These include the structure and function of regions of the 'social' brain (the amygdala, the prefrontal cortex, and the hippocampus) and the regulation of 'social' signalling molecules (glucocorticoids including corticosterone and cortisol, sex hormones including testosterone, oestrogens, and progestogens, neuropeptide hormones such as oxytocin and arginine vasopressin, and monoamine neurotransmitters such as serotonin and dopamine). We also discuss microbiome-associated host genetic and epigenetic processes relevant to social behaviour. We then review research on microbial interactions with olfaction in insects and mammals, which contribute to social signalling and communication. Following these discussions, we examine evidence of microbial associations with emotion and social behaviour in humans, focussing on psychobiotic studies, microbe-depression correlations, early human development, autism, and issues of statistical power, replication, and causality. We analyse how the putative physiological mediators of the microbiome-sociality connection may be investigated, and discuss issues relating to the interpretation of results. We also suggest that other candidate molecules should be studied, insofar as they exert effects on social behaviour and are known to interact with the microbiome. Finally, we consider different models of the sequence of microbial effects on host physiological development, and how these may contribute to host social behaviour.
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Affiliation(s)
- Amar Sarkar
- Trinity College, Trinity Street, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, CB2 1TQ, U.K.,Leverhulme Centre for Human Evolutionary Studies, Department of Archaeology, Fitzwilliam Street, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, CB2 1QH, U.K
| | - Siobhán Harty
- Institute of Neuroscience, Trinity College Dublin, Dublin 2, Dublin, Ireland.,School of Psychology, Trinity College Dublin, Dublin 2, Dublin, Ireland
| | - Katerina V-A Johnson
- Department of Experimental Psychology, Radcliffe Observatory Quarter, University of Oxford, Oxford, OX2 6GG, U.K.,Pembroke College, University of Oxford, Oxford, OX1 1DW, U.K.,Department of Psychiatry, Warneford Hospital, University of Oxford, Oxford, OX3 7JX, U.K
| | - Andrew H Moeller
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Corson Hall, Tower Road, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY, 14853, U.S.A
| | - Rachel N Carmody
- Department of Human Evolutionary Biology, Harvard University, Peabody Museum, 11 Divinity Avenue, Cambridge, Massachusetts, 02138, USA
| | - Soili M Lehto
- Psychiatry, University of Helsinki and Helsinki University Hospital, PL 590, FI-00029, Helsinki, Finland.,Department of Psychology and Logopedics, Faculty of Medicine, University of Helsinki, P.O. Box 6, FI-00014, Helsinki, Finland.,Institute of Clinical Medicine/Psychiatry, University of Eastern Finland, P.O. Box 1627, FI-70211, Kuopio, Finland
| | - Susan E Erdman
- Division of Comparative Medicine, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Building 16-825, 77 Massachusetts Avenue, Cambridge, MA, 02139, U.S.A
| | - Robin I M Dunbar
- Department of Experimental Psychology, Radcliffe Observatory Quarter, University of Oxford, Oxford, OX2 6GG, U.K
| | - Philip W J Burnet
- Department of Psychiatry, Warneford Hospital, University of Oxford, Oxford, OX3 7JX, U.K
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43
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Gong P, Wang Q, Liu J, Xi S, Yang X, Fang P, Wang B, He L, Guo W, Zhang M. The OXTR polymorphisms are not associated with attachment dimensions: A three-approach study. Psychoneuroendocrinology 2020; 120:104780. [PMID: 32634747 DOI: 10.1016/j.psyneuen.2020.104780] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/01/2020] [Revised: 06/15/2020] [Accepted: 06/19/2020] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
Abstract
Inspired by the roles of oxytocin in social behaviors, scientists have devoted considerable efforts to examine the association between the oxytocin receptor gene (OXTR) and human attachment, a personality of seek and receiving comfort from intimate figures. However, there are still a lot of controversies on the association. To clarify the relationship, this research integrated three studies: (1) A cross-sectional study indicated that the OXTR polymorphisms (i.e., rs53576 and rs2254298) were not significantly associated with attachment dimensions in a college student sample (N = 1193); (2) A three-wave study showed that the polymorphisms were not associated with the individual differences and changes of attachment dimensions in a freshmen sample (N = 657); and (3) Meta-analysis indicated that attachment dimensions were not associated with the polymorphisms of rs53576 (Anxiety: 14 samples, N = 5053; Avoidance: ten samples, N = 4273) and rs2254298 (Anxiety: ten samples, N = 3670; Avoidance: ten samples, N = 3698). Taken together, these findings provide strong evidence that the OXTR polymorphisms are not related to attachment dimensions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pingyuan Gong
- Shaanxi Key Laboratory for Animal Conservation, Northwest University, Xi'an, 710069, China; College of Life Science, Northwest University, Xi'an, 710069, China; College of Medicine, Northwest University, Xi'an, 710069, China.
| | - Quanhe Wang
- College of Life Science, Northwest University, Xi'an, 710069, China
| | - Jinting Liu
- Research Center of Brain Function and Psychological Science, Shenzhen University, Shenzhen, 518060, China
| | - Shoumin Xi
- College of Medicine, Henan University of Science and Technology, Luoyang, 471003, China
| | - Xing Yang
- College of Life Science, Northwest University, Xi'an, 710069, China; College of Life Science, Yulin University, Yulin, 719000, China
| | - Pengpeng Fang
- College of Life Science, Northwest University, Xi'an, 710069, China
| | - Bei Wang
- College of Life Science, Northwest University, Xi'an, 710069, China
| | - Linlin He
- College of Life Science, Northwest University, Xi'an, 710069, China
| | - Wenxuan Guo
- College of Life Science, Northwest University, Xi'an, 710069, China
| | - Mengfei Zhang
- College of Life Science, Northwest University, Xi'an, 710069, China
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44
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Ike KG, de Boer SF, Buwalda B, Kas MJ. Social withdrawal: An initially adaptive behavior that becomes maladaptive when expressed excessively. Neurosci Biobehav Rev 2020; 116:251-267. [DOI: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2020.06.030] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/12/2019] [Revised: 05/28/2020] [Accepted: 06/24/2020] [Indexed: 12/29/2022]
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45
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Harvey AR. Links Between the Neurobiology of Oxytocin and Human Musicality. Front Hum Neurosci 2020; 14:350. [PMID: 33005139 PMCID: PMC7479205 DOI: 10.3389/fnhum.2020.00350] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/01/2020] [Accepted: 08/04/2020] [Indexed: 12/22/2022] Open
Abstract
The human species possesses two complementary, yet distinct, universal communication systems—language and music. Functional imaging studies have revealed that some core elements of these two systems are processed in closely related brain regions, but there are also clear differences in brain circuitry that likely underlie differences in functionality. Music affects many aspects of human behavior, especially in encouraging prosocial interactions and promoting trust and cooperation within groups of culturally compatible but not necessarily genetically related individuals. Music, presumably via its impact on the limbic system, is also rewarding and motivating, and music can facilitate aspects of learning and memory. In this review these special characteristics of music are considered in light of recent research on the neuroscience of the peptide oxytocin, a hormone that has both peripheral and central actions, that plays a role in many complex human behaviors, and whose expression has recently been reported to be affected by music-related activities. I will first briefly discuss what is currently known about the peptide’s physiological actions on neurons and its interactions with other neuromodulator systems, then summarize recent advances in our knowledge of the distribution of oxytocin and its receptor (OXTR) in the human brain. Next, the complex links between oxytocin and various social behaviors in humans are considered. First, how endogenous oxytocin levels relate to individual personality traits, and then how exogenous, intranasal application of oxytocin affects behaviors such as trust, empathy, reciprocity, group conformity, anxiety, and overall social decision making under different environmental conditions. It is argued that many of these characteristics of oxytocin biology closely mirror the diverse effects that music has on human cognition and emotion, providing a link to the important role music has played throughout human evolutionary history and helping to explain why music remains a special prosocial human asset. Finally, it is suggested that there is a potential synergy in combining oxytocin- and music-based strategies to improve general health and aid in the treatment of various neurological dysfunctions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alan R Harvey
- School of Human Sciences, The University of Western Australia, Perron Institute for Neurological and Translational Science, Perth, WA, Australia
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46
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Johnson KVA, Burnet PWJ. Opposing effects of antibiotics and germ-free status on neuropeptide systems involved in social behaviour and pain regulation. BMC Neurosci 2020; 21:32. [PMID: 32698770 PMCID: PMC7374917 DOI: 10.1186/s12868-020-00583-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/12/2020] [Accepted: 07/07/2020] [Indexed: 12/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Recent research has revealed that the community of microorganisms inhabiting the gut affects brain development, function and behaviour. In particular, disruption of the gut microbiome during critical developmental windows can have lasting effects on host physiology. Both antibiotic exposure and germ-free conditions impact the central nervous system and can alter multiple aspects of behaviour. Social impairments are typically displayed by antibiotic-treated and germ-free animals, yet there is a lack of understanding of the underlying neurobiological changes. Since the μ-opioid, oxytocin and vasopressin systems are key modulators of mammalian social behaviour, here we investigate the effect of experimentally manipulating the gut microbiome on the expression of these pathways. Results We show that social neuropeptide signalling is disrupted in germ-free and antibiotic-treated mice, which may contribute to the behavioural deficits observed in these animal models. The most notable finding is the reduction in neuroreceptor gene expression in the frontal cortex of mice administered an antibiotic cocktail post-weaning. Additionally, the changes observed in germ-free mice were generally in the opposite direction to the antibiotic-treated mice. Conclusions Antibiotic treatment when young can impact brain signalling pathways underpinning social behaviour and pain regulation. Since antibiotic administration is common in childhood and adolescence, our findings highlight the potential adverse effects that antibiotic exposure during these key neurodevelopmental periods may have on the human brain, including the possible increased risk of neuropsychiatric conditions later in life. In addition, since antibiotics are often considered a more amenable alternative to germ-free conditions, our contrasting results for these two treatments suggest that they should be viewed as distinct models.
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Affiliation(s)
- Katerina V A Johnson
- Department of Experimental Psychology, University of Oxford, Radcliffe Observatory Quarter, Oxford, OX2 6GG, UK. .,Department of Psychiatry, Warneford Hospital, University of Oxford, Oxford, OX3 7JX, UK.
| | - Philip W J Burnet
- Department of Psychiatry, Warneford Hospital, University of Oxford, Oxford, OX3 7JX, UK
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47
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Abramson L, Uzefovsky F, Toccaceli V, Knafo-Noam A. The genetic and environmental origins of emotional and cognitive empathy: Review and meta-analyses of twin studies. Neurosci Biobehav Rev 2020; 114:113-133. [PMID: 32353470 DOI: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2020.03.023] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/30/2019] [Revised: 02/20/2020] [Accepted: 03/24/2020] [Indexed: 01/10/2023]
Abstract
Empathy is considered a cornerstone of human social experience, and as such has been widely investigated from psychological and neuroscientific approaches. To better understand the factors influencing individual differences in empathy, we reviewed and meta-analyzed the behavioral genetic literature of emotional empathy- sharing others' emotions (k=13), and cognitive empathy- understanding others' emotions (k = 15), as manifested in twin studies. Results showed that emotional empathy is more heritable, 48.3 % [41.3 %-50.6 %], than cognitive empathy, 26.9 % [18.1 %-35.8 %]. Moreover, cognitive empathy as examined by performance tests was affected by the environment shared by family members, 11.9 % [2.6 %-21.0 %], suggesting that emotional understanding is influenced, to some degree, by environmental factors that have similar effects on family members beyond their genetic relatedness. The effects of participants' age and the method used to asses empathy on the etiology of empathy were also examined. These findings have implications for understanding how individual differences in empathy are formed. After discussing these implications, we suggest theoretical and methodological future research directions that could potentially elucidate the relations between genes, brain, and empathy.
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48
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Williams AC, Hill LJ. The 4 D's of Pellagra and Progress. Int J Tryptophan Res 2020; 13:1178646920910159. [PMID: 32327922 PMCID: PMC7163231 DOI: 10.1177/1178646920910159] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/12/2019] [Accepted: 02/06/2020] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Nicotinamide homeostasis is a candidate common denominator to explain smooth transitions, whether demographic, epidemiological or economic. This 'NAD world', dependent on hydrogen-based energy, is not widely recognised as it is neither measured nor viewed from a sufficiently multi-genomic or historical perspective. Reviewing the importance of meat and nicotinamide balances during our co-evolution, recent history suggests that populations only modernise and age well with low fertility on a suitably balanced diet. Imbalances on the low meat side lead to an excess of infectious disease, short lives and boom-bust demographics. On the high side, meat has led to an excess of degenerative, allergic and metabolic disease and low fertility. A 'Goldilocks' diet derived from mixed and sustainable farming (preserving the topsoil) allows for high intellectual capital, height and good health with controlled population growth resulting in economic growth and prosperity. Implementing meat equity worldwide could lead to progress for future generations on 'spaceship' earth by establishing control over population quality, thermostat and biodiversity, if it is not already too late.
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Affiliation(s)
- Adrian C Williams
- Department of Neurology, University
Hospitals Birmingham NHS Foundation Trust, Birmingham, UK
| | - Lisa J Hill
- School of Biomedical Sciences, Institute
of Clinical Sciences, University of Birmingham, Birmingham, UK
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49
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Mac Gillavry DW, Ullrich D. A novel theory on the predictive value of variation in the β-endorphin system on the risk and severity of PTSD. MILITARY PSYCHOLOGY 2020; 32:247-260. [PMID: 38536347 PMCID: PMC10013490 DOI: 10.1080/08995605.2020.1730111] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/31/2019] [Accepted: 09/18/2019] [Indexed: 02/08/2023]
Abstract
Despite growing interest in genetic and psychosocial indicators of heightened susceptibility to posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), a predictive model, which explains why some individuals develop PTSD in response to life-threatening traumatic events, while others, when faced with the same or similar experiences, do not, has thus far remained out of reach. In this paper, we review the literature on gene-environment interactions in β-endorphin system functioning with regard to PTSD and suggest that variation, both genetic and with regard to environmental stimuli, in systems which, like the β-endorphin system, distort human perception of life-threatening traumatic experiences may account for some of the variance in resilience to the disorder. Given the role of β-endorphin in both social connections and physical exercise, this becomes especially relevant with regard to military selection, training, and leadership processes.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - David Ullrich
- Department of Military Leadership, University of Defence, Brno, Czech Republic
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50
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Abstract
This paper is the fortieth consecutive installment of the annual anthological review of research concerning the endogenous opioid system, summarizing articles published during 2017 that studied the behavioral effects of molecular, pharmacological and genetic manipulation of opioid peptides and receptors as well as effects of opioid/opiate agonists and antagonists. The review is subdivided into the following specific topics: molecular-biochemical effects and neurochemical localization studies of endogenous opioids and their receptors (1), the roles of these opioid peptides and receptors in pain and analgesia in animals (2) and humans (3), opioid-sensitive and opioid-insensitive effects of nonopioid analgesics (4), opioid peptide and receptor involvement in tolerance and dependence (5), stress and social status (6), learning and memory (7), eating and drinking (8), drug abuse and alcohol (9), sexual activity and hormones, pregnancy, development and endocrinology (10), mental illness and mood (11), seizures and neurologic disorders (12), electrical-related activity and neurophysiology (13), general activity and locomotion (14), gastrointestinal, renal and hepatic functions (15), cardiovascular responses (16), respiration and thermoregulation (17), and immunological responses (18).
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Affiliation(s)
- Richard J Bodnar
- Department of Psychology and Neuropsychology Doctoral Sub-Program, Queens College, City University of New York, CUNY, 65-30 Kissena Blvd., Flushing, NY, 11367, United States.
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